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Nissan announced full-year results showing a rise in revenues and profitability, helped by demand for new products in North America, Western Europe and China.
Nissan announced results for the six-month period ending September 30 showing a sharp rise in operating profit and solid revenue growth.
The Datsun Story highlights the return of the brand’ from the time of Nissan Motor Corp's first announcement in 2012, to a growing global sales presence in 2015.
Kotozukuri - the story behind making things; let's look back at some of the stories behind Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun in 2014-2015.
This week, Nissan partners with the Kingdom of Bhutan on a national EV strategy, and Datsun's redi-GO CONCEPT debuts in Delhi.
Nissan announced results for the first nine months showing operating profit of US$ 3.73 billion.
Datsun’s new concept unveiled at the 12th Delhi Auto Expo hints at an exciting future direction for the brand.
This week, sourcing for Nissan LEAF production in the U.S. goes local; the Young Risers of Indonesia; and our top stories of 2013.
This week, Nissan revises its year-end forecast downward; the first NV200 taxi starts taking fares in NYC; and the Center of Design and Development for light commercial vehicles celebrates 10 years of growth.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing Champion Sebastian Vettel talks about his passion for driving, and what helped him become the dominant F1 driver that he is today.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel wins his fourth consecutive Drivers' Championship title at the Indian Grand Prix.
This week, the new models from Nissan unveiled around the world: Datsun Go+, third-generation X-Trail, and the 2014 Rogue.
Nissan Motor Company launched Datsun on July 15, 2013, at the Kingdom of Dreams theater in Delhi, India. Watch the highlights.
This week, we focus on the launch of Datsun - Nissan's third marque - in New Delhi, India.
Nissan Motor CEO Carlos Ghosn says the relaunch of Datsun in India will be a cornerstone to expansion in the country.
Datsun unveiled the Datsun GO at the brand's world premiere in India, which will be launched in 2014 in India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa.
The Dashboard this week takes a closer look at the return of Datsun next week in India, as well as a safety driving forum in the nation of 1.2 billion.
This week, Indian NGO says no honking please, Chrysler declines recall of Jeep models, and a "painful" race car.
This week we see the first Infiniti Q50 roll off the production line at Tochigi in Japan, plus sprinter Usain Bolt receives a Gold GT-R to match his Olympic medals, and how Nissan is working to encourage motorists in India to buckle up.
This week, 007 makes a cameo for the New York International Auto Show; Infiniti Red Bull Racing wins Malaysia 1-2, but controversy reigns; and Ford is in hot water in India over controversial ad mockups.
The last 12 months have been hugely eventful for Nissan Motor Company with a host of new vehicle launches, sporting successes on the track and expansion in fast-growing markets from India to Brazil.
Ahead of the Indian F1 Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber gives a track guide to the Buddh International Circuit.


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Google continues to improve YouTube by adding functionality such as 360-degree videos and working to bring encryption into nearly 100% of YouTube video streams. Google says that “some devices do not fully support modern HTTPS. Over time, to keep YouTube users as safe as possible, we will gradually phase out insecure connections.” In October 2015, Google announced YouTube Red, a $10-per-month subscription service that features music and original content and is designed to more directly compete with Hulu, Netflix, Vimeo, and other services with premium components.
To compete with Hulu’s Splash, Google is reportedly planning a new subscription service, Unplugged, that would “offer customers a bundle of cable TV channels streamed over the internet,” according to Investor’s Business Daily. In another interesting decision, Google announced that its Hangouts On Air live video service would be moving to YouTube in September. eWeek reports that the company isn’t forthcoming on the reasons for this, “[s]o it is unclear whether declining participation and interest in the service prompted the decision. It also is not clear if the lack of mobile support for Hangouts On Air influenced Google’s decision to move the streaming feature to YouTube Live.”
An Environment of Change
Google isn’t alone in making changes to its video products. Facebook’s partnership with Blizzard Entertainment aims to broaden its footprint in this market with access to games such as World of Warcraft. In the past year, Amazon Video has more than doubled its streaming traffic, although this still represents less than 5% of fixed traffic in North America, according to Sandvine’s Global Internet Phenomena Report. This number is far behind even Netflix’s 35% share. Sling TV and Vimeo have focused their efforts on commercial or professional markets and haven’t worked to develop a broader market for their services.
If there is any question about the primacy of internet-based communities today and the value they have to international commerce, Adweek notes that Alphabet (Google’s parent company) now controls 12% of all global media spending and is “the world’s largest media owner,” collecting $60 billion in U.S. advertising spend. For better or worse, Google has been able to define (if not create) much of our internet experience in the last 30 years. “Five digital players—Google, Facebook, Baidu, Yahoo and Microsoft—collectively generated 19 percent of all global ad budgets,” the Adweek article continues. “And when looking specifically at digital money, the companies make up 65 percent of Internet revenue globally, with $88 billion in ad sales in the U.S. alone. According to Zenith, digital ad spend has grown 18 percent every year for the past five years while spend across all other types of media has grown .6 percent.”
A First Amendment for Social Platforms?
In June 2016, Nabiha Syed, assistant general counsel of BuzzFeed, and Ben Smith, its editor-in-chief, published a proposal for a rights guarantee for web users that is similar to the First Amendment. “The trust we place in [social platforms] is ultimately about whether we trust them to manage our own collective expression. For this trust to endure, these platforms must be transparent about their own policies and be consistent in their enforcement. Fortunately, experimenting platforms do not need to start from scratch. Lawyers and judges have spent centuries wrestling with similar questions surrounding free speech. Their answers can be deployed to defend the remarkable global public squares the platforms have created.” The full proposal is worth a read.
Fortune writer Matthew Ingram voices his support for this proposal, but cautions, “As honorable as these calls for transparency and shared principles are, is there any realistic chance that Facebook or Twitter or any of the other platforms will actually do this? Twitter is busy trying to prop up its failing share price, and Facebook is so dominant there’s virtually no upside to getting dragged into a debate over free speech—although its willingness to meet with conservative leaders over trending topics suggests there is some room for optimism. In any case, it’s worth pressing the issue, because the principles at stake are important ones, and they aren’t going away.”
Slate’s Kate Klonick has another perspective: “But while geographically bound communities have had thousands of years to evolve norms in real life, developing expectations for behavior on a global internet is still in its nascent stages. This is especially true for online speech. …” Klonick quotes former Google executive Nicole Wong, who observes that in the past 20 years, online speech has been going through a “norm setting process.” “We’re still in the middle of how to think about the norms of behavior when what is considered ‘appropriate’ speech is constantly iterating,” Wong tells Klonick. “If you layer the changes in technology over a broadening array of cultural, racial, national, global perspectives, it is hard to pin down principled, universal social norms, let alone create policy to reflect them.”
As information professionals, we also have a major stake in these developments. As we watch the growth of YouTube and other web-based communications and social media institutions, we find ourselves in an era of information that is unfettered, unvetted, and sometimes disappears without a trace. Self-monitoring of these systems in a global setting without some form of oversight has been the norm, but can this continue into the future? Time will tell.

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U.S. CHIP MAKERS RECOVERING
Published: May 26, 1987
(Page 2 of 2)
''This demonstrated to the Japanese that America is not a paper tiger,'' said Jerry Sanders, the chief executive of Advanced Micro Devices, when asked about the effects of the sanctions. ''It demonstrated that the U.S. semiconductor industry is a sacred industry here.'' [ Japan's Trade Minister, Hajime Tamura, yesterday urged the country's largest chip makers and users to increase their imports of semiconductors made in the United States, Reuters reported. He made the request before talks this week in which Japanese officials will try to persuade the United States to lift the sanctions imposed last month. ] A third surprising development, according to experts here and in Japan, is a subtle change in attitude among Japan's electronics giants. Under increasing profit pressure on many fronts, the companies appear to be tiring of the hundreds of millions of dollars in losses generated by their semiconductor divisions during the chip market-share wars with the United States. Some of these companies have therefore quietly welcomed the rise in chip prices. And the Toshiba Corporation, Hitachi Ltd. and the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation said Friday that they now plan slight increases in chip production this year because of increased demand. Dollar's Drop Hurting
Worsening the troubles facing Japan's electronics companies is the increasing value of the yen against the dollar, which has made Japanese components more expensive and therefore somewhat less attractive in export markets. Meanwhile, some of the consumer electronics products that are heavy users of Japanese-made chips, such as video cassette recorders, are selling more slowly today than two years ago.
At the same time, most experts say that Japan's reversals are temporary and should be of little solace to United States competitors. At best, most analysts say, they give the American semiconductor industry a little more time to make fundamental changes.
Getting agreement over what those changes should be has proved far more difficult than many expected. Some experts think American manufacturers should move even further away from the mass production of basic ''commodity'' chips and toward the flexible capacity to design and manufacture new generations of customized chips, which are sold in smaller numbers.
Many in the Government and some in the industry are now questioning whether Sematech, the industry consortium that plans to develop advanced techniques for use by all of the major American chip makers, is properly focused on the industry's problems. The consortium will concentrate on manufacturing techniques, an area in which Japan is widely acknowledged to have gained supremacy.
At the Pentagon, which would like to keep chip-dependent United States weapons systems a generation ahead of those of competing nations, some military specialists say they fear that the effort will not pay sufficient attention to the design of advanced chips.
This is an area in which American chip makers are still considered to have an advantage.
''It's not clear that we're prepared to give money to a project headed in the wrong direction,'' one senior military official familiar with the debate said last week.
Others defend the industry's approach, saying that it would be ridiculous to turn American manufacturers into ''design shops'' and send most chip manufacturing abroad.
''It's like saying, 'The hell with making Chevys - we'll get by making Ferraris,'' said Stephen J. Balog, a technology analyst for Prudential-Bache Securities Inc. ''It doesn't make any sense.''
For the industry, the key question appears to be whether the sudden upturn in demand will stifle that debate, as chip makers shift their attention to recouping profits from their sudden good fortune.
Some in the industry also fear that the recovery among semiconductor makers might make their case for Government contributions to Sematech less compelling.


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True to our motto “Working Out Loud”, we at GANDT Ventures exchange our thoughts and ideas on current news topics in the world of online marketing, digital retail, and e-commerce. This helps us uncover opportunities that can be used for companies and our clients as part of our daily business.
But most of all, it is a lot of fun and a great way to share knowledge.
Our podcast-style chats are available to anyone who is interested to find out more about what Google, Facebook, Amazon and the likes are up to.
Singles’ Day 2020 – the biggest online shopping day in the world
The Chinese Singles’ Day takes place on the 11th of November. Singles’ Day is the world’s biggest 24-hour online shopping event and is now considered the strongest shopping day of the year in China. Sales are even higher than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.
Singles’ Day, also known as Bachelor’s Day, had nothing to do with shopping in the beginning, but originated at various universities in China and was considered by single students as a kind of anti-Valentine’s Day for single people. The date of 11.11 was chosen because of the number 1, which symbolises single people.
Restaurant owners saw their opportunity in the ever-growing Singles Day by offering special deals to attract single people into the eateries.
In 2009, the Chinese e-commerce giant and Amazon rival Alibaba discovered the day from the singles for itself and has been advertising annual discounts ever since. The idea behind it: Single people don’t have to take care of a family and should treat themselves to something on this day.
In the meantime, the days of the singles has also arrived in Germany and it is hoped that this will further boost Christmas sales. Amazon, however, still stays out of this trend and advertises with earlier Black Friday and Cyber-Monday promotions.
The sales figures are quite impressive: Alibaba expects 800 million customers this year. By Wednesday morning (12.11.2020), goods worth 56 billion dollars are said to have been sold.
Above all, a run on luxury goods is also being observed this year. Sales could therefore be even higher than last year, also because many companies are already advertising discounts days before Singles’ Day.
Listen in to Fireside Chat #064 to find out what impact Singles’ Day will have on the telecoms industry and to get best practice for your business.
Agenda | GANDT Fireside Chat Video #064
01:25 - Singles' Day 2020
10:55 The discount battle in the telecommunications industry
16:48 Black Friday Tips
19:11 Seasonal tips for your business


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Porsche has announced an electric sports car will sit alongside combustion versions later in the decade
But it’s unlikely to be the end of the combustion mid-engined sports car as we know it – a model range currently powered by turbocharged flat-four engines and naturally-aspirated flat sixes.
The next Boxster and Cayman will use for the first time a fully-electric powertrain and will ride on the PPE platform that also underpins cars such as the upcoming electric Porsche Macan SUV.
Details on powertrain specifics and battery sizes are still very much under wraps, but if we look at the battery pack fitted to the Mission R prototype that debuted in 2021, it’s likely that the electric Boxster and Cayman could use a 80kWh battery pack.
Unlike most electric cars, the future electric Porsche sports car could use a stacked battery layout behind the driver called ‘e-core’ to provide a lower driving position and better overall weight balance.
Along with a new electric version, Porsche’s chief executive officer Oliver Blume said that there will be a combustion-engined option that will be sold in parallel, just like the Macan.
Currently, the base 718 Cayman uses a 220kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged flat-four engine, while the flagship Cayman GT4 RS comes with a 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six engine that produces 368kW/450Nm.
This is the first time that a 911 GT3 engine has been planted in the Cayman bodystyle. It’s uncertain whether or not the next flagship Cayman will be electric or combustion powered.
Porsche is not completely set on entirely electrifying the 911 in the near future.
However, an earlier Chasing Cars report confirmed that Porsche would build a hybrid version of the 911, but not a fully-electric one.
The system likely to be used in the hybrid 911 is a self-charging, series-parallel setup, however the brand still remains quiet about the 911’s future.
Car news, 19 Feb ’24: Alfa Quadrifoglio models safe in Australia, Scout factory breaks ground, and more
About Chasing cars
Chasing Cars reviews are 100% independent.
Because we are powered by Budget Direct Insurance, we don’t receive advertising or sales revenue from car manufacturers.
We’re truly independent – giving you Australia’s best car reviews.


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Circles.Life has apologised and pulled down its latest billboard featuring local actress Eunice Olsen. In an Instagram post Olsen said she felt uncomfortable over the telco's latest Epic Invite billboard campaign, and has since filed a police report.
In a public Instagram post, she added that her manager had no knowledge of the ad and that "the company did not seek permission to use my name". She has also lodged a police report about the ad. Her concerns were that it was "misappropriation of identity". She added that the "sexist" post was "derogatory, disrespectful, distasteful and is a cheap shot at a publicity stunt."
"Advertising can play a big role to influence gender equality. As a brand, ad agency, media buyer, or media owner, you have the power through your ads to empower women, or disempower them. We are influenced by what we see in advertising whether we like it or not. By having ads like that, you are sending the wrong message and reinforcing stereotypes about women," she added.
Marketing has reached out to Olsen for a comment.
Circles.Life said in a statement to Marketing that it "never intended" to make Olsen feel uncomfortable and it apologises for that. The spokesperson added that the submission was made by an individual with the social media handle @alexkrygsman. "We are taking down the ad immediately. We will learn from this experience and appreciate the feedback," the spokesperson said.
View this post on Instagram
Hi everyone, do any of you know what ad this is at Raffles place? A dear friend of mine alerted me this morning. She was rushing and did not manage to see where the ad is from. My manager and I do not know anything about this ad and the company did not seek permission to use my name. Just wanted to let all of you know that I am not part of this company's ad campaign. This ad is sexist and derogatory towards women, and using someone's name without permission. Companies should not get away with putting up ads like these. . Iceland has legislation against sexist advertising that makes women feel disempowered and I think it's about time Singapore has this too.
In a similar marketing stunt, the telco recently placed an invite on a billboard along Raffles Place asking Crazy Rich Asians’ star Henry Golding out on a date for The Weeknd concert. This was in a bid to promote its new feature named Discover, which allows customers to explore events happening around the city, personalised on their interests.
(Photo courtesy: Eunice Olsen's Instagram)


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drank(TM) Creates Calm Campuses as Increasing Number of Students Managing College-Related Stress and Lifestyle Changes Imbibe Relaxation Beverages
HOUSTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — A new crop of functional beverages are stealing shelf space from popular energy drinks at the campus store by promising stressed-out students the opposite effect – relaxation. drank™, a new calming beverage promising to “slow your roll™” with its combination of melatonin, valerian root and rose hips, is sweeping across college campuses this fall on a tidal wave of national publicity from Fox News Network, CNN, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and the music videos of Keri Hilson, The Pussycat Dolls, FloRida and others.
While some members of the media have gone as far as to refer to the calming beverage as “weed in a can,” the makers claim that the wildly popular drink was created to provide a safe and legal way to relax at the end of a stressful day.
“College comes with an enormous set of challenges and stresses. Students struggling with being away from home, managing schedules and assignments and adapting to college life are finding their stress levels soaring,” said Peter Bianchi, CEO of Innovative Beverage Group and creator of drank™. “Many students are striving to find reasonable methods to manage their stress levels without resorting to drug or alcohol use, and this lightly-carbonated, grape-flavored elixir is rapidly gaining popularity as the go-to beverage when the going gets tough.”
“Being a full-time college student in and of itself can be very straining and stressful – but being a full-time college student graduating in such a lackluster economic climate with few job opportunities adds even more stress. So when the going gets tough, I go get drank™. It’s calming and relaxing, but doesn’t stunt my thinking the way alcohol does,” says Shane Frohnapfel, a senior at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“As a self-declared Type-A personality, I am always wound up about something, so I simply created a beverage that suited my needs to relax at the end of the day without waking up with a hangover,” said Bianchi. “Based on the widespread popularity of drank™, it seems that scores of consumers across the country feel the same way. Our customers tell us that they no longer want to be spoon-fed energy drinks that wire them up all night; to them, the phrase ‘slow your roll™‘ has never echoed truer.”
“After a full day of classes, I usually don’t have time to make it to the gym until late in the evening and then I am too wound up to rest or focus on my homework. I’ve tried drank™ and found that it’s a great way to chill out at the end of the day and still be able to get up in the morning to do it all over again,” said Doug Fernandez, a freshman at The University of Delaware.
To help even more students “slow their rolls,” the makers of drank™ will be hosting Twitter and Facebook contests throughout the year to give drank™ prize packs to winners on campuses across the country. To follow drank™ on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/slowyourroll or visit them on Facebook at the “Official Drank — Extreme Relaxation Beverage Page.” Be sure to follow them to get in on the free drank™ gear.
CONTACT: Eric Fischgrund, Beckerman Public Relations, firstname.lastname@example.org, +1-201-465-8008, for Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc.


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Calling all electricians!
Are you an electrician interested in the latest trends and products in the electrical industry? Look no further than #CEFLIVE23! After a four-year break, #CEFLIVE23 is back in the NEC Birmingham on June 8th and 9th, with over 85 leading electrical brands, including CEF’s exclusive in-house brands, showcasing their latest products and services.
The event also covers the ever-changing regulations and best practices with their CPD Accredited TechTalks in partnership with the IET. Presented by CEF staples Darren Staniforth, Dave Austin, and the IET’s Head of Techical Regulations Mark Coles, the latest TechTalks are designed to keep electricians up to date with the latest in the industry.
Register now for free at ceflive.co.uk. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience the electrical event of the year.


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KATHMANDU, April 11: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu has said that solutions to the problems of price increment of the petroleum products and its transport and supply would be resolved scientifically by prioritizing the interests of the consumers.
KATHMANDU, April 4: Supply of petroleum products in the local market has eased following an agreement between the protesting petroleum entrepreneurs and the Nepal Oil Corporation, the state-owned trading enterprise of the country that imports, stores and distributes petroleum products.
KATHMANDU, April 3: Home Minister Balkrishna Khand, also the Acting Prime Minister, has directed the authorities concerned to immediately fix the problems surfaced recently in the supplies of petroleum products.
KATHMANDU, March 29: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has proposed declaring a public holiday on Sunday. The corporation has written a letter to the government, proposing giving one more day off to reduce fuel consumption by reducing the use of public and government vehicles.
KATHMANDU, March 8: The government has decided to provide funds for the purchase of petroleum products to the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), which is in trouble after accumulated savings fell to zero due to a hike in the prices of petroleum products in the international market.
KATHMANDU, March 3: With the sharp rise in the prices of Brent crude oil in the international market as a result of Russia's invasion in Ukraine, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has decided to hike the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 per liter.
In this context, the market for petroleum products is so sensitive that fluctuations in the international market price may not take long to make a profit or loss in crores of rupees. Nepali private sector entrepreneurs are not in a position to take this risk.
KATHMANDU, Nov 15: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal said that priority will be given to the policy of reducing the use of vehicles, factories and materials that use petroleum products.
KATHMANDU, March 17: The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has yet again increased the prices of petroleum products. The price of petrol, diesel and kerosene has been increased by Rs 2 per liter each with effect from Wednesday.
KATHMANDU, Jan 31: The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has agreed to increase the commission paid to petroleum dealers. This comes after the dealers pressed NOC to increase the commission of diesel and petrol by about 36 paisa per liter. The dealers had stated that it was difficult to sustain their business with prior commission rate.
KATHMANDU, Jan 13: Stating that it has become difficult to run the business as the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has not increased the commission for selling petroleum products for four years, the fuel distributing entrepreneurs have announced to increase the fuel price on their own, if NOC does not increase the rate of commission for the oil distributors.
KATHMANDU, March 19: A numbers of gasoline sellers have been found to be involved in the black marketing of the petroleum products taking undue advantage of soaring demand for essentials amid ongoing threat of COVID-19 and weak government monitoring.
BIRATNAGAR, March 18: Petroleum Dealers Association Koshi chapter has urged consumers not to go after rumours of a shortage of fuel. The Association has also requested consumers not to hoard petroleum products, more than required, based on the baseless rumour that the border points with India would shut down.
KATHMANDU, March 16: Most of the private petrol pumps in the Kathmandu Valley wore a deserted look, while those operated by Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Sajha Cooperative saw long queues on Sunday despite the government claim that there would be no shortage of petroleum products.
KAILALI, Jan 26: The Sonaha people have been managing their livelihood by searching gold in the Karnali River that flows from Tikapur of Kailali and Rajapur of Bardiya. Their livelihood depends upon gold panning in the banks of the river. Similarly, Sudurpashchim province has immense possibility of petroleum products.
KATHMANDU, Nov 25: Nepal spent 16.6% less in import of petroleum products in the first three months of the current fiscal year – FY2019/20 compared to the same period last year despite an increase in the import volume by 7%.
KATHMANDU, Sept 18: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the prices of petrol, diesel, and kerosene from Monday night, September 17, yet again. This is the fourth hike after the KP Sharma Oli led government came into power.
KATHMANDU, Sept 15: India’s undeclared economic blockade on Nepal in 2015 which completely obstructed the passage for petroleum products and other essentials to Nepal inspired three eighteen-year-olds to conduct a test in search of an alternative to petrol.


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Real Estate prices for the most expensive homes sold in La Jolla actually topped the highest priced home sold in 2021. We all know the year 2021 was a record year that saw a huge amount of real estate activity due to the limited number of homes on the market in the La Jolla area. As of last year the highest home sold was at $21,750,000 and this year the highest sale clocked in at $21,800,000. Of course, there were a lot more sales last year above the $17 million dollar price point but it's encouraging to see such high prices this year with an economy that has seen record high inflation and rising mortgage rates.
1320 Muirlands Drive, La Jolla was the highest home that sold this year selling for $21,800,000 in March of 2022. Located in the upscale Muirlands community was a true architectural Mediterranean style masterpiece that was newly built in 2018. The estate home was built like a mini hotel resort with a total of six bedrooms and over an approximate 12,000 square feet of living space. It was located on a lot size of over 28,000 square feet which is over a half acre of land which occupied a resort style pool and large entertaining backyard as pictured below. It was listed in February of 2022 for $22,995,000 and sold after being on the market for 22 days. Some of the luxury amenities included a wine cellar, bowling alley, library, fitness gym with steam room and sauna and a catering style kitchen. I'm sure the new buyers will entertain in style in this home.
2681 Idle Hour Lane, La Jolla was the second highest sale this year selling for $17,000,000 in November of 2022. This was an equally large home located in the very upscale La Jolla Farms neighborhood boasting a total of nine bedrooms with over an approximate 14,000 square feet of living space. One of the biggest selling features of this home was the large lot that is was located on which spanned over 2.8 acres of land. This amount of land is rare when you are located near the beach which made this a truly unique sale. The lot had a variety of amenities which included a tennis court, volleyball courts, skateboard park and a private lake with a small dock. There was even a bonus guest house, fitness center and wet and dry sauna. Of course, one of the most coveted items included in this sale was the Black Beach gate key which gives those who possess it access to one of the top beaches in San Diego. There is absolutely a lot to love about this property.
7020 Neptune Place, La Jolla was the third highest sale selling for $15 million in December of 2022. The property was actually sold before it came on the market so there was not a lot of information given on the property. What has been disclosed is that the listed and sold for $15,000,000 and featured a total of five bedrooms with an approximate 4,115 square feet of living space. The two story home is located in the upscale Beach Barber Tract of La Jolla that is home to some amazing ocean front homes located on Neptune street. Below are the current and most expensive homes located in La Jolla. For a tour of homes similar to these please contact our local La Jolla resident agents at 858-200-7562.
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Listing information last updated on November 29th, 2023 at 4:17pm CST.


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A group of San Francisco-based FinTech firms is forming a coalition to weigh in on regulators and lawmakers concerning cryptocurrencies. The lobby group they have chosen to advise and help them frame their argument will receive payment both in fiat currency and digital coins.
The Push for Constructive Oversight
The coalition of the financial technology firms known as Securing America’s Internet of Value (SAIV) coalition seeks to lobby the lawmakers and the regulators in a bid to influence cryptocurrency and blockchain regulation.
The firms in the coalition are led by Ripple, a software company offering digital payment solutions to financial companies. The other companies include RippleWorks foundation, Hard Yaka, a crypto investment firm, PolySign, a company offering crypto custody solutions, and Coil, a digital payments company.
All the companies in the coalition have resolved to retain Klein/Johnson, a Washington-based bipartisan lobby group, to advise them on how to proceed with their push to the government. The lobby group has immense experience in both technology and financial services. For compensation, Klein/Johnson will receive $25,000 per month and an additional payment of 10,000 XRP.
The levels of government targeted by the coalition are the Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) who are market regulators, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Government’s Concern on Crypto Dealings
Currently, regulators and lawmakers are in the process of figuring out appropriate federal rules to apply to the crypto economy. The main concerns the government has of the digital tokens and the underlying blockchain technology are threefold.
First, the crypto markets have been recording massive price swings. This has made legislators call for regulations to help curb against the ‘Wild West’ phenomenal.
Secondly, there has been a spate of fraudulent coin offerings which have pushed the SEC to create a website to help warn investors against such scams. In addition, the regulator has brought several fraud cases against firms operating initial coin offerings.
The third concern is that the crypto market is being exploited by individuals and companies to perpetuate criminal activities such as drug dealing. The fact that cryptocurrencies are natively digital has made them a choice payment method for cyber criminals when using ransomware.
SAIV, on the other hand, is pushing for a kind of government oversight that enhances innovation as opposed to impending competition in the crypto markets.
Why Ripple is Advocating for Crypto Policy Change
Ripple has had multiple lawsuits filed against them for allegedly manipulating XRP price. XRP is a digital asset existing independently from Ripple but closely associated with the company. Apart from the lawsuits, Ripple has also been embroiled in a debate on whether XRP should be classified as a security or not. The company holds that XRP is not a security and should be treated in the same manner as bitcoin and Ether.
The executive chairman of Ripple, Chris Larsen, has noted that a lot of misinformation exists about cryptocurrencies and blockchain, partly because of the complexity of the technology. However, he is upbeat that the payment of Klein/Johnson will give the regulators and lawmakers a taste of the industry in a way that drives the point home.


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You might find it hard to believe, but Naruto has crossed one of its biggest milestones to date. October 3rd marks the anime's 20th anniversary, and as you can imagine, fans are feeling pretty emotional about the event. After all, artist Masashi Kishimoto inspired generations with Naruto and its cast of colorful heroes. And now, a special reel has been released highlighting the best moments from the anime.
As you can see below, the short was released by Studio Pierrot earlier today, and Road of Naruto will have fans feeling nostalgic. At ten minutes long, the clip focuses on dozens of iconic sequences from the original anime as well as Naruto Shippuden. And if some of the scenes look different, well – there is a reason for that.
After all, it isn't every day an anime turns 20 years old, and Studio Pierrot wanted to celebrate right. That is why this clip features totally re-animated scenes from Naruto. From the Valley of the End to Pain's Invasion, the anime team redid several scenes for this promo, and it has them looking better than ever.
Of course, this short has netizens geeking out online, and this is just the first gift Studio Pierrot has to celebrate Naruto. A brand-new website opened for the franchise in Japan, and it includes plenty of new key art celebrating the Hidden Leaf. The site promises even more updates on Naruto are to come in light of its new milestone. And of course, fans can always catch up on the anime online thanks to streaming services such as Hulu and Crunchyroll.
What do you think about this special Naruto promo? Can you believe the anime is turning 20 years old? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.


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Hamilton won't be back for a second day of testing on Wednesday, but several NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will be testing, including Ricky Craven, Todd Kluever and Justin Allgaier, all coming back for a second day, and Bill Lester, Shieage Hattori, Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner and Brandon Whitt will join them.
Because of the possibility of rain, Darrell Waltrip, David Reutimann and Robert Huffman have moved their
Truck Series tests to Thursday, joining David Starr, Bobby Labonte, Regan Smith, Tam Topin, Alex Yontz,
Bill Lester, Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner, Todd Bodine, Steve Park and Brendan Gaughan. Tickets for both
the Advance Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 10, and the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race,
on Saturday, April 9, may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for both events also may be purchased online at
www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Tickets for Jackson Hewitt Pole Day on April 8 are $15 and will be on sale the day of the event. Ticket prices for the Advance Auto Parts 500 range from $40 to $75. Tickets for the Kroger 250 are $35. Tickets for children ages 6 to 12 are $5. Anyone buying an Advance Auto Parts 500 ticket between now and April 1 can receive $5 off the purchase of a Kroger 250 ticket. Children's truck tickets are discounted $1 when bought with an Advance Auto Parts 500 ticket. The Kroger 250 is scheduled for April 9 and the Advance Auto Parts 500 on April 10.


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Startups looking to use tech to empower those with disabilities, help young people save, and revolutionise the way we use Post-It notes, are among the 25 startups to have graduated from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Hatchery+ accelerator program in its first year.
The Hatchery+ accelerator ran its first pilot accelerator in early 2016, and from last year’s two cohorts, 13 out of the 15 participating startups are still active and have raised close to $1.8 million in funding, according to UTS.
These 13 startups have also generated close to $1.31 million in revenue, and created 67 paid and internship positions, the university says. The three-month accelerator has just graduated its latest cohort of 10 startups, including augmented reality startup WallSync, which took out the top $5000 prize at the accelerator’s most recent demo day.
Geoff Bullen is the co-founder of WallSync. He says universities play a key role in fostering entrepreneurial thinking, with the next generation of university students looking for alternatives to the traditional degree.
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“From a demand side you can see that the next generation coming through is going to demand more and more to be supported and do things on their own … people want extra flexibility [in their degrees] and the traditional jobs are more under threat,” Bullen tells StartupSmart.
It was during Bullen’s time completing a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship at UTS that WallSync participated in the Hatchery+ program. Bullen bills the startup as a “way to create a mirrored version of Post-It notes in the virtual world” with the app using augmented reality software to scan Post-It notes directly into project management tools.
Bullen says the three-month program at UTS provided the motivation to persevere with his startup when times were tough, while also providing him with a vital internal support network.
“Between the 10 startups [in the program], I got a lot of support from the other [founders and mentors], which keeps you going when your motivation wanes,” Bullen says.
He also says there are “certainly advantages to being aligned with universities” as they can offer access to research connections and much-needed credibility for early-stage startups.
“It makes it a lot easier to make connections, and it gives you credibility,” Bullen says.
After taking out the top spot at the Hatchery+ demo day, Bullen says WallSync is now set to launch its offerings as an ‘Innovation Partner’ at the Atlassian Global Summit in San Jose on September 26.
Bullen says that the startup will be travelling to the summit to gain traction in the US for the WallSync platform, adding that while Atlassian is a global tech success story, the team there still “have that culture of being part of the [Australian startup] community, helping people, supporting good ideas.”
The startup will be launching through Atlassian’s plug-in store, Bullen says, where startups sell products that integrate with Atlassian’s platforms. While the WallSync platform will be available for sale worldwide, Bullen says the startup plans to focus its expansion efforts in Sydney and Melbourne for the time being.
The Hatchery+ accelerator program is supported by the UTS Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Creative Intelligence Unit, and provides teams with $2000 in seed funding, co-working space and mentors and advisors.
To be accepted into the Hatchery+ program each startup needs at least one co-founder who is a current UTS student, alumni or staff member, and this has seen a range of co-founders emerge from all faculties and disciplines, according to UTS.
To date, 60% of Hatchery+ startup founders have been female, according to the university, which is more than double the national average reported in Startup Muster’s latest startup ecosystem survey.


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The latest Fortnite Battle Royale news
New Halloween gear is being prepared for launch by Epic Games, although how many new surprises may be revealed in the coming weeks is anyone's guess.
'The latest news is that plenty of new cosmetics will be added soon, mostly in the form of new outfits.
A lot of have already been leaked and will likely be joined by more designs and items later in October.
And fans can expect a range of new outfits to go live this week in the Fortnite shop.
Today saw the launch of Hollowhead, while more designs have been found in the most recent Fortnite update.
Other items, such as the Plague Glider, new pickaxes and a selection of new emotes were revealed by data miners, some of which have now debuted.
There are also hopes that some kind of in-game event or big update is being saved for Halloween itself.
Epic Games recently moved their update day from Tuesday to Wednesday. This will mean that an update will be released on Halloween.
It would give the development team the perfect cover to do something with the Floating Island, or just have some fun with the Fortnite map.
The Skull Trooper could be returning with a red glow
Perhaps a new Ghost Town or some other spooky content could go live on October 31, although fans will have to look out for clues.
There are also reports that a new Skull Trooper variant will be added to the game this month.
The new Skull gear went live in the item shop earlier this week and included a purple glow for those who have the original outfit.
Fans aren’t expecting anything too earth-shattering as its hoped that it will be the same skin, with a different colour tinge.
There’s no set release date for when this new content will be released by Epic Games, or how long fans will have to wait for it.
But it seems pretty likely it will pop up before October 31, unless the development team are saving it for the day itself.
Fortnite fans may have also been given their first look at the gifting system in Battle Royale.
The gifting system has been in the pipeline for ages, as Epic continues to tweak the feature before launch.
But a new leak on Twitter suggests the gifting feature is about to be released by Epic Games - perhaps with update 6.03.
Alleged footage of the feature in action has been posted on the Jaren Twitter page.
The clip - which can be seen below - shows Jaren selecting to purchase the item as a gift and then personalising the gift with a message.
It's unclear if the footage is legitimate, but it looks like you can select recipients from your list of friends.
There also appears to be some kind of time restriction on the amount of gifts you can send.


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Overview of Tesla’s Q1 Report
Tesla’s Q1 report for 2021 showed that the company had a record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $10.39 billion, up 74% year-over-year. The report also revealed that Tesla had invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, which is equivalent to around 5% of the company’s cash holdings.
The report also showed that Tesla had made a profit of $101 million from its Bitcoin investment, which helped to offset the losses the company incurred from selling emissions credits. However, Tesla’s $1.5 billion Bitcoin investment also resulted in a $27 million impairment, which was attributed to the decrease in Bitcoin’s price during the quarter.
Tesla’s Bitcoin Investment Details
Tesla’s decision to invest in Bitcoin was not a surprise to many, considering the company’s CEO, Elon Musk’s interest in cryptocurrencies. However, the size of the investment was unexpected, and it raised eyebrows among investors and analysts.
Tesla’s Bitcoin investment was made in January 2021, when the price of Bitcoin was around $38,000. The investment was made through an internal platform that allows the company to hold and manage digital assets. Tesla also announced that it would accept Bitcoin as a form of payment for its products and services.
Analysis of Bitcoin’s Impact on Tesla’s Financials
Tesla’s Bitcoin investment has had a significant impact on the company’s financials in the first quarter of 2021. The $101 million profit from the investment helped to offset the $67 million loss the company incurred from selling emissions credits. However, the $27 million impairment resulting from the decrease in Bitcoin’s price during the quarter lowered Tesla’s net income.
Some analysts have criticized Tesla’s Bitcoin investment, arguing that it exposes the company to unnecessary risks. The volatility of Bitcoin’s price could have a significant impact on Tesla’s financials, especially if the company decides to hold on to the cryptocurrency for an extended period.
Market Reactions to Tesla’s Bitcoin Holdings
Tesla’s Bitcoin investment has attracted a lot of attention from investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Some investors see the investment as a smart move, considering Bitcoin’s potential for growth in the future. However, others are skeptical and view the investment as a gamble that could backfire.
Tesla’s Bitcoin investment has also had a significant impact on Bitcoin’s price. When Tesla announced its investment in January 2021, Bitcoin’s price surged to an all-time high of $58,000. However, the price of Bitcoin has been volatile since then, and it has experienced significant fluctuations in value.
Tesla’s Future Plans for Bitcoin Investment
Tesla’s Q1 report did not reveal whether the company had bought or sold any Bitcoin since its initial investment. However, Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla may sell some of its Bitcoin holdings.
In a tweet in May 2021, Musk suggested that Tesla had sold some of its Bitcoin holdings, saying that the company had done so to test the cryptocurrency’s liquidity. Musk also hinted that Tesla may resume accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment for its products and services once the cryptocurrency becomes more environmentally friendly.
The Broader Implications of Tesla’s Bitcoin Holdings
Tesla’s Bitcoin investment has broader implications for businesses and the cryptocurrency industry as a whole. The investment has brought Bitcoin into the mainstream and has increased its legitimacy as an investment asset.
Tesla’s investment has also opened the door for other companies to invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. However, it has also raised concerns about the risks associated with investing in cryptocurrencies, especially for companies that are not familiar with the industry.
Potential Risks and Rewards of Bitcoin Investment for Businesses
Investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can be a risky business. The volatility of the cryptocurrency market means that the value of investments can fluctuate rapidly, and companies that are not prepared for this volatility could suffer significant losses.
However, investing in cryptocurrencies can also be rewarding, especially for companies that understand the market and have a long-term investment strategy. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have the potential for significant growth in the future, and early investments could yield substantial returns.


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The fifth edition of The Consumer Compass Report shows a drop in confidence with respect to personal finances and the overall economy — a finding that should come as no surprise to anyone closely watching economic conditions locally and at the state and national levels.
The Consumer Compass Report, an offshoot of The Compass Report that is managed by The City Wire and presented by Benefit Bank, reflects trends seen at the national level. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index recently hit a low not seen since October 2008. The Consumer Confidence Index published by The Conference Board fell to a low not seen since April 2009.
“A contributing factor may have been the debt ceiling discussions since the decline in confidence was well underway before the S&P downgrade,” noted Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. “Consumers' assessment of current conditions, on the other hand, posted only a modest decline as employment conditions continue to suppress confidence."
The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index has fallen 25% in the past three months, the second largest decline in the history of the closely-watched index.
“Consumer confidence plunged in August as consumers became increasingly convinced that a renewed recession was likely to occur,” noted the UM report. “The majority of households reported worsened finances, expected no in-come gains, and were more likely to anticipate a rising un-employment rate during the year ahead.”
With that as a backdrop, following are several points of analysis from Talk Business Research about consumer sentiment in the Fort Smith region as captured by The Consumer Compass Report.
• This is our fifth poll for The City Wire, which gives us our first chance to compare quarter-to-quarter responses over a one-year period. There is some remarkable consistency and notable changes. Financial conditions for residents in the Fort Smith region remain pessimistic, but steadily pessimistic. 44% describe their financial situation as worse than one year ago with only 11% saying it is better.
• Conversely, 38% think their financial positions will be worse in the next year with only 12% saying it will be better. These two questions, when comparing the most recent quarter to last quarter and to last year's same quarter, are basically unchanged. In other words, there remains weak hope for personal financial improvement and it has been that way for the last year.
• There were interesting shifts in questions regarding Fort Smith business conditions and leadership on the regional business environment. First, the survey shows there has been a marked degradation in perceptions about local business conditions. Nearly 10% of respondents indicated that conditions over the next year won't be the same as today, and their perception is that it will get worse. One-half of residents in the region (50.5%) see worsening business conditions.
• However, that notion is somewhat countered by responses to how local leaders are setting policies and taking actions to improve business and job growth. Last quarter, 36% felt actions and policies were "bad," but that number dropped to 30% in our latest survey. While the "good" marks aren't strong (just 8%), when combined with the "Okay, but could be better" response, a majority (51%) have a positive impression of the business environment in the region.
• Some explanations for this "feel good" versus "feel bad" mentality could be from the psychology of local economic announcements in recent weeks. There is obviously fret regarding Whirlpool and its impact on the community; however, there have been high-profile announcements regarding activity at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and new initiatives (Fort Smith Regional Alliance) that could stoke positive jobs momentum locally.
• One final note: it has been a tough summer on the jobs front as the number of major layoffs and unemployment have risen, weather conditions have harmed economic activity, and the national economic picture remains confusing, polarizing and unsolvable. From last quarter to this quarter, there was a 10% increase (52% to 62%) in the number of respondents who think the U.S. economy will worsen in the next year. This makes the effort to restore consumer confidence even more daunting of a task as the needle to move towards more optimism heads in the wrong direction.
The Consumer Compass Report — The City Wire Poll
Conducted by Talk Business Research and Hendrix College on Sept. 8. There were 523 Respondents in the Fort Smith region.
Margin of Error +/- 4.3%
Q1. How would you describe your personal financial situation? Are you better off financially, worse off, or about the same as you were one year ago?
4% Don’t know
Q2. Now looking ahead — do you think that one year from now your personal financial situation will be better off, worse off, or about the same?
13% Don’t know
Q3. Turning to business conditions in the Fort Smith region as a whole — do you think that during the next year, local business conditions will get better, get worse or stay about the same?
10.5% Don’t know
Q4. What about the U.S. economy? During the next year, do you think business conditions in the United States will get better, get worse or stay about the same?
8% Don’t know
Q5. Considering the regional business environment, do you believe the actions and policies of county and local governments in the Fort Smith region are good for business and job growth, bad for business and job growth, or somewhere in between?
43% OK, but could be better
19% Don’t know
Q6. Considering the state business environment, do you believe the actions and policies of state government officials — elected and appointed — are good for business and job growth, bad for business and job growth, or somewhere in between?
40% OK, but could be better
15% Don’t know
Q7. Considering the national business environment, do you believe the actions and policies of federal government officials — elected and appointed — are good for business and job growth, bad for business and job growth or somewhere in between?
43% OK, but could be better
11% Don’t know
Notes on Raw Data:
2% Under the age of 30
11% Between the ages of 30 and 44
38% Between the ages of 45 and 64
49% 65 or older
2% African American
2% Asian American
89% Caucasian or White
62% Less than $50,000
22% $50,000 – $75,000
10% $75,001 – $100,000
5% More than $100,000
35% High school degree or less
40% High school degree and some college, but no degree
9% Two-year (associate’s) degree
11% Four-year college degree
5% Masters degree or higher


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If you receive a set of minutes, you will quickly believe that the bill must be correct. But even a shady company can send a legal bailiff to you. Influencers on your Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube feed often sell products in addition to themselves. Radar checks! Examines the rules of influencer marketing. Finally, the use of cash is becoming more and more expensive for consumers and business. Are we going to a cashless world? The majority of people want to avoid it, according to research.
I was shocked: I received a letter from the record. You have to pay hundreds of euros within 14 days to a company of dubious reputation: the Leak Detection Center. You’ve been arguing with that company for weeks about their incorrectly sent bill, and to get over it you get a record on your rooftop. Shouldn’t the sheriff, who is the sworn official, check the claim of such a company first?
New section Luden Liu: The most annoying influencer to announce | Radar checks!
The world of influencer marketing has grown exponentially in recent years. Influencers have built loyal followers through channels like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Products such as soft drinks, gadgets, and clothing are marketed, sometimes without even suggesting that influencers are making big money for it. Because what rules really apply to influencers? For the new section of Loden Leeuw, Fons delves into the world of influencer marketing.
Test panel survey: 63% want to prevent stores from rejecting cash
Radar has conducted a survey about paying in cash, which our test panel completed, among other things. Nearly 40,000 people responded. Although debit card payment is the most popular payment method, our research shows that as many as 82 percent usually or always carry cash. Payment by debit card has gained momentum due to the Corona crisis, but consumers are increasingly discouraged from paying with cash. For example, a number of banks require customers to contribute when withdrawing cash. Depending on your package and the amount of money you withdraw, this can be up to €5 per amount withdrawn. Shopkeepers also note that cash is becoming less common. Research by Radar also shows that some stores charge an additional contribution for cash payment. Are we heading towards a cashless society? What are the consequences for the consumer? Radar explains.
“Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Freelance organizer. Avid analyst. Friendly troublemaker. Bacon junkie.”
Stage Entertainment has eliminated corona damage, and now there is uncertainty due to inflation | Book and culture
Tijl Beckand’s volatile adventure does not evoke sympathy
Actor Amsterdam Mike Ho Sam Sue has passed away, 69.


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Generac Holdings: 2Q Earnings Snapshot
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) _ Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC) on Thursday reported second-quarter earnings of $62 million.
The Waukesha, Wisconsin-based company said it had net income of 98 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to $1.20 per share.
The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.08 per share.
The generator maker posted revenue of $541.9 million in the period, also topping Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $540.4 million.
Generac Holdings shares have risen 42% since the beginning of the year. The stock has risen 31% in the last 12 months.


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Australia, along with 11 other Pacific Rim nations, has signed the world’s largest free trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which lays out the rules for trade and investment among the countries.
The TPP covers 40 per cent of the global economy, and will rid 98 per cent of trade tariffs among the countries that have signed the agreement – United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Mexico, Peru, and Chile.
With copyright laws, there were concerns that US officials could dictate to other countries their laws and regulations relating to the TPP.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a statement that the final TPP negotiations “will not require any changes to Australia’s intellectual property laws or policies, whether in copyright, pharmaceutical patents or enforcement”.
Jon Lawrence from Electronic Frontiers Australia said there's a risk that the TPP might stop Australia from being able to change its copyright laws to keep them up-to-date with the times.
Last year, Electronic Frontiers Australia, iiNet and more than 70 other organisations signed an open letter that raised concerns that copyright-related proposals included in the TPP would force ISPs to police their customers' online activities.
"[It may] force service providers throughout the region to monitor and police their users' actions on the Internet, pass on automated takedown notices, block websites and disconnect Internet users," the letter stated.
Lawrence said there are also concerns around geoblocking, where the TPP may criminalise accessing content that is outside its allocated region.
"We understand that there may be something agreed to in this TPP agreement that is actually going to criminalise that behaviour. That's a really bad step backwards if that's true," he said.
"We just don't know until the text is released and there is no reason not to release it now, so they need to do that so we can start talking about what has actually been agreed to," he added.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


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Fiat Chrysler, U.S. union UAW at table as strike looms
By Bernie Woodall
DETROIT (Reuters) - With a threatened strike hanging over them, negotiators from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and the United Auto Workers union continued to meet on Wednesday afternoon, a Fiat Chrysler spokeswoman said.
The U.S. union on Tuesday called for a strike against Fiat Chrysler's U.S. operations at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (0359 GMT Thursday) unless a new agreement on a four-year contract is reached.
There are 40,000 Fiat Chrysler UAW workers who could strike.
A union spokesman gave no details of the talks including whether the company was willing to sweeten the deal it offered the UAW that was approved Sept. 18 by the union leaders but rejected last week by 65 percent of its rank-and-file Fiat Chrysler membership.
Workers have said they turned down the contract because many wanted a two-tier wage and benefit system eliminated. Short of that, they sought a cap on that lower-paid second tier at 25 percent of the total union workforce. Many workers also wish to undo some of the concessions they have given since 2007 to keep the company competitive.
The last time the UAW called a strike against Detroit automakers, who currently make up about 37 percent of the union's membership, was in 2007 at Chrysler and General Motors Co. GM and Chrysler were prohibited from striking until this year as part of the 2009 bailout agreement with the U.S. government.
Sean McAlinden, economist with the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan, estimated that Fiat Chrysler could lose $40 million of operating profit and at least $1 billion of revenue weekly in a strike of all its U.S. production plants. That calculation uses an estimated per-vehicle profit of about $1,100 in the first half of the year.
The company's U.S. production plants are concentrated in the U.S. Midwest, in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Continued...


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Fake app reviews impact developers more than you think
Thursday, June 29, 2023 by Freeman Lightner
Developers are well aware that a significant portion of online reviews for products and services, including those on popular platforms like Amazon, eBay, and TripAdvisor, are in fact fake. The issue of fake app reviews has become an increasingly pressing concern. These deceptive reviews have wide effects on both developers and consumers alike, significantly impacting th...
Digital concierge app powered by GPT redefines luxury lifestyles
Monday, June 26, 2023 by Brittany Hainzinger
Perfect.Live announced that they raised $650,000 in a recent investment round. The funding is used to further develop and enhance their innovative GPT-powered concierge service, catering to individuals who seek access to exclusive services, and eliminating the time-consuming manual tasks like phone calls and emails, which are often hindered by the lack of available...
Clean dirty data with Data Prep from Versium
Friday, May 26, 2023 by Richard Harris
Research shows that bad data costs U.S. businesses more than $3 trillion per year dragging down the performance of marketing campaigns and ROI. Versium announced the launch of its new Data Prep product, a solution that empowers marketers to quickly fix massive amounts of data at scale so it can be deployed more effectively in all data-driven marketing activiti...
Generative AI virtual agent from Serviceaide
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 by Brittany Hainzinger
Serviceaide, Inc. has announced its AI-Everywhere Luma Virtual Agent and AI-based solutions. Integrating Generative AI, Luma 3.0 provides a quantum leap in efficiency, productivity, cost reduction, and business process innovation. Luma provides the benefits of Generative AI with nothing extra to buy, it’s built into our technology core to improve all service manag...
Apples profit continues to grow
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 by Richard Harris
According to Tradingplatforms.com, Apple has seen a remarkable profit of about $100 billion, 73% up from 2020 figures. The site’s financial analyst, Edith Reads, comments, "This is a testament to its innovation and technological advancements throughout this period. To attain these numbers, Apple has employed various strategies such as optimizing its product r...
AI VS code extension from Metabob speeds up code review
Monday, May 15, 2023 by Freeman Lightner
Metabob announced a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual studio code (VSCode) extension for its debugging and refactoring tool that speeds software development code review by 60%. It provides users with useful context-sensitive code recommendations to fix errors right in the integrated development environment (IDE), and it is specifically trained to fix code...
API exploration tool SwaggerHub Explore launches from SmartBear
Thursday, March 16, 2023 by Brittany Hainzinger
SmartBear is giving developers instant access to RESTful and Apache Kafka endpoints with the new SwaggerHub Explore. The free API exploration tool has an easy-to-use interface and accelerates the development lifecycle, allowing developers to easily visualize API data in a single place and quickly evaluate functionality before investing valuable time in API integration. ...
Online gaming connectivity solution from Edgegap
Thursday, February 9, 2023 by Richard Harris
Mathieu Duperre explains what Edge computing is, how Edgegap is helping game developers solve connectivity issues, and reduce latency and lag, plus what the limitations are for large publishers that use traditional infrastructures. Even more, he goes into depth about the findings from the 2022 Online Gaming Connectivity Report which had responses from over 2000 gamers i...
AI content generation features released from Metatron
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 by Brittany Hainzinger
Metatron Inc has announced the release of new services for content generation. MetatronAI.com is a generative artificial intelligence service based on cutting-edge language processing that sets a new standard in the industry. With its advanced natural language understanding capabilities and ability to generate human-like text, art, and soon video and music, designe...
Digital investments cannot be slowed
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 by Richard Harris
Raveesh Dewan, the CEO and President of Joget shares his insights about digital investments, why they can not be slowed down, how the trend of replacing old systems with more modern ones will continue, what resources the new systems will bring demand for, why citizen development will be the new way of building apps quicker and more efficiently, and what S...
App development to improve with insights from behavioral data
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 by Richard Harris
One of the most exciting developments in 2022 was the introduction of Data Creation as an approach. This is the process of intentionally creating data to power AI and advanced data applications, as opposed to data exhaust, which is the byproduct of data emitted from existing systems.
Organizations will seek to build better apps with granular insights from behavioral ...
IoB to improve product and service personalization
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 by Brittany Hainzinger
Emerging software architectures in 2023 will be built around data quality, data pipelines, and traceability rather than computing, processing, APIs, and responses. This shift is being driven by digital transformation, which requires a data-driven approach to leverage AI and machine learning. Although the success of this method requires processing large amounts of data a...
VCs will fly to quality in 2023
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 by Richard Harris
Andrew Lau, CEO, and co-founder of Jellyfish discusses his predictions for VCs in 2023, including why the days of easy money and endless budgets will come to an end, how the doors are opening for startups to recruit talent that has long been out of reach, and that firms will be deploying heavily once more by the second half of 2023.
VCs will fly to qua...
Low code will grow up in 2023
Monday, January 23, 2023 by Richard Harris
Cost consciousness is always important, but at times of greater uncertainty (global recessions, pandemics, etc.) it becomes a high (if not the highest) priority. That will almost assuredly change companies’ approaches to business applications, sometimes in paradoxical ways.
The challenge at hand
On the one hand, Software-as-a-service (SaaS) has offered simpl...
SaaS will be all about specialization in 2023
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 by Brittany Hainzinger
Most cloud providers have become comparable in basic capabilities and there is very little to differentiate them. The journey from here is going to be about specialization. Companies will need to start diving a little deeper into the key value they are looking for and which cloud provider can provide it best. For example, for some AI and ML capabilities, there may ...
The expansion of open source software is coming this year
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 by Richard Harris
2022 was a year of mixed feedback, particularly for the software industry. Despite many macroeconomic warnings, cloud services continued to grow, and the open-source model was embraced.
Coming in 2023 for the Open Source World
2023 is looking positive for the expansion of open-source software. Here are a few trends that will impact our industry next year.
The halo will fall from DevOps in 2023
Saturday, January 14, 2023 by Richard Harris
Wing To shares his 2023 DevOps predictions, including the rise of Green DevOps and sustainability, how AI will improve automation and be a competitive advantage for DevOps, how fake agile will deliver poor results, and explains what leaders should focus on for agile in 2023.
The halo will fall from DevOps in 2023
For the past few years, the adoption of DevOps...
Recession fears may cause us to lower our defenses
Friday, January 13, 2023 by Richard Harris
Adam Sandman, CEO and Founder of Inflectra discusses the trends in software quality engineering and cybersecurity for 2023. Mr. Sandman explains why quality engineering, DevOps, and security will no longer be seen as separate disciplines but as part of a larger whole. Finally, he will cover how risk management is critical in addressing this new integrated set of challen...
TrueNAS R30 launches from iXsystems
Friday, December 23, 2022 by Freeman Lightner
iXsystems, the company behind TrueNAS, has announced the RELEASE of TrueNAS SCALE 22.12 "Bluefin", the second major version of TrueNAS SCALE and the industry’s most powerful open source hyper-converged storage OS. Developed in true open source fashion alongside the hundreds of thousands of members in the TrueNAS Community, this storage software release f...
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2023 speaker lineup
Monday, December 19, 2022 by Brittany Hainzinger
The EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference, created in 1993, has grown to be Europe's largest gathering of software testers. Thirty editions of the EuroSTAR conference have been hosted in 16 different cities. In 2023 it will be held at Flanders Convention Center, Antwerp Zoo in Belgium, 13-16 June 2023.
Software Development is a Social Activity is the theme for Eur...
The future of crop intelligence is here with Mark 3 from Arable
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 by Richard Harris
Arable has announced the next generation of its award-winning crop intelligence solution. Powered by the all-new Arable Mark 3 in-field sensing device, the solution now includes contextualized crop imagery via Arable Vision. These innovations break new ground in how data can be used to optimize and advance agriculture around the world.
"Agriculture is one o...
Microverse World Builder from Croquet
Monday, November 28, 2022 by Richard Harris
Croquet Corporation has announced the availability of Microverse World Builder, a browser-based development environment for the Open Metaverse that lets web and web3 developers rapidly create multi-user 3D Metaverse worlds that can be published to any web server, completely independent of proprietary platforms.
Microverse World Builder includes the newest releas...
Inter Protocol now a stable token for cosmos IST
Wednesday, November 16, 2022 by Richard Harris
The first phase of Inter Protocol is live. Inter Stable Token (IST), a decentralized, fully-collateralized, programmable stable token has launched for the Cosmos ecosystem on the Agoric platform. Stable-by-design with value relative to the US Dollar, IST was created to provide users with a minimum price volatility asset, and an evolving, risk-managed set of minting mech...
Crypto 401k plans from Bitwage and ForUsAll
Tuesday, November 1, 2022 by Richard Harris
Bitwage announced its partnership with ForUsAll to offer the first-ever one-stop shop for cryptocurrency 401(k) combined with cryptocurrency payroll.
The decision to introduce these products was based on overwhelming demand from customers, which was measured by a waitlist posted by Bitwage. It was clear that companies and employees desired direct access to Bitco...
Chat SDK for developers from Agora
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 by Brittany Hainzinger
Agora, Inc. announces the global availability of Agora Chat, a new SDK that aims to make it easy for developers to rapidly embed real-time in-app chat into their web and native apps; providing an immersive experience that keeps their users more connected, informed, and engaged. The launch of Agora Chat coincides with the start of Agora’s flagship event RTE202...
$50M in funding raised by Theorycraft Games
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 by Brittany Hainzinger
Theorycraft Games has announced an additional $50 million raised in Series B funding, led by Makers Fund with participation from NEA and a16z. Theorycraft Games will use this raise to continue building out the most talent-dense team in games and to ensure they can keep making deep, 10,000-hour games that are just better when played with friends, like the company’s...
TripActions has selected ReleaseHub
Monday, October 3, 2022 by Richard Harris
ReleaseHub has announced that TripActions has selected ReleaseHub to provide its developers with ephemeral, full-stack staging environments that can be spun up and down on demand.
Switching to ReleaseHub’s on-demand staging environments will allow TripActions to stand up and tear down identical production-like environments instantly, eliminating common delays t...
Secrets revealed from developers with over 20 mobile game hits
Monday, September 5, 2022 by Freeman Lightner
My Little Universe, Squad Alpha, Johnny Trigger, Jelly Shift, and Knife Hit are just a few of the successful mobile games created by Baltic game developer Estoty. The company is known for more than 20 hit mobile games that have attracted a total of 2 billion players. So what are the key ingredients for a successful mobile game? Estoty’s experts name the following ...
Provar Manager general availability released
Friday, September 2, 2022 by Brittany Hainzinger
Provar, the test solution provider, has released Provar Manager into general availability. Provar Manager, the latest addition to the Provar Quality Cloud’s suite of offerings, is a 100% Salesforce-native test management solution that helps delivery teams organize, analyze and optimize all of their end-to-end and holistic testing activities, within Salesforce...
Time series data guide for app developers
Friday, September 2, 2022 by Michael Gargiulo
Time-series databases are exploding today as one of the fastest-growing database categories. With the cloud ushering in ever more "self-service", the volume of data continues to increase as innovation brings more computational power and storage capacity, many developers today are trying to wrap their heads around how to handle time-series data at the database ...
Developer led visibility practices advance at SmartBear
Thursday, September 1, 2022 by Richard Harris
SmartBear, a provider of software development and visibility tools, has hired world-class artificial intelligence (AI) leader Jim Wu as VP of AI and Data Science working in the SmartBear Innovation Labs and product management leader Anthony Bryce as VP of Product Management. Both are supporting the company’s strategy to provide critically-needed visibility for dev...
App Stability Index of top mobile apps
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 by Brittany Hainzinger
SmartBear, a provider of software development and visibility tools, has released its 2022 App Stability Index Report measuring the stability of the top 250 mobile and web apps used by Bugsnag customers worldwide. Using Bugsnag data from a 30-day period, the third annual report shows mobile apps are continuing the release trend of once per week, moving from a weekly rele...
Achieving corporate growth without losing service quality
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 by Prasad Memane
The software product industry is highly competitive and shows no signs of slowing down. In June 2022, approximately 36 thousand mobile apps were released through the Apple App Store, up by two percent compared to the previous month. As such, companies are feeling mounting pressure to launch new products or add new features to current products. However, if the technology...
Your digital commerce strategy
Monday, August 29, 2022 by Boris Lokschin
Events of recent years have catapulted the demand for digital transformation, and digital commerce was no exception. E-commerce sales grew 50% over the pandemic, reaching a whopping $870B. With digital commerce booming in all sectors, and demand for excellent digital experiences growing with it, developers’ workloads are bigger than ever. As a result, 83% say...
Crossword game Test Express Word Adventure launches
Tuesday, August 23, 2022 by Freeman Lightner
GameHouse has announced Text Express: Word Adventure, a vast and challenging emergent crossword puzzle game with an exciting and visual adventure narrative and huge variety in gameplay; spanning 3,500 levels, 37 destinations, over 95 speaking characters, and thousands of unique crossword puzzles. This beautiful and unique puzzle game is packed with rich environments to ...


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Maryland and Florida could be next in line for Tesla Insurance, according to a few reports.
Teslarati has reported that the services are being expanded to Maryland and added that the Maryland Insurance Administration told them that the Balboa Insurance Company had changed its name to Tesla Insurance earlier this year. This was an early hint at the arrival of Tesla Insurance in the state.
The article also included a few documents from the Maryland Insurance Administration that shows Tesla filed for Tesla Property & Casualty, Inc., which was previously Meritplan Insurance Company. Documents for both of the companies show that Tesla’s main address is in Fremont, CA, and the website is also Tesla’s.
Tesla Insurance in Maryland will deal with all types of insurance: health, marine, wet marine, casualty, transportation, property, surety, and vehicle liability.
According to filings, Tesla is also expanding its insurance to Florida. Drive Tesla Canada has reported that filings show the service is expanding to Florida as well as Maryland. Citing a report by Coverager, which specializes in insurance products and data, the article noted that Tesla filed with regulators to expand the service in both states.
In Maryland, the proposed effective date for Tesla Insurance is tomorrow, June 16. In Florida, owners will have to wait until October 20, 2022, before they can switch over. According to the filings, Tesla plans to provide insurance under Meritplan Insurance Company.
Tesla rolled out its insurance to Virginia, Colorado, and Oregon earlier this year. With Maryland soon to get it, the total number of states with Tesla Insurance will be nine. State by state, Tesla is taking on the insurance industry. I think it’s important to remember that as Tesla continues to expand its products and services across all industries, its continued success will dominate the next few decades.
During Tesla’s Q3 2020 earnings call, Elon Musk pointed out that Tesla Insurance alone could be 30% to 40% of the value of the car business. It seems quite long ago since Tesla initially announced its insurance service, but eventually it will be in all 50 states, and as I’ve said before, Elon Musk and Tesla have put the insurance industry on notice.
Tesla will fundamentally change how customers interact with insurance providers. Whether or not the giants in the industry are ready for this doesn’t matter. At the risk of sounding like an end-times prophet, change is coming.
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Written by Thembani Magazi – January 28, 2020
Reviewed by Asaf Kedem
It’s official! PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have merged to form Stellantis. This new company brings together 14 well-known vehicle brands across the world. The deal was in the works since late 2019 and automotive enthusiasts the world over have been waiting to see what the new decade has in store for the nascent Stellantis brand. “Stellantis” comes from the latin verb stello: the name of the brand translates to "of (he/it that) brightens with stars". We have witnessed something truly amazing in the automotive world, the birth of a new titan in automotive production.
With this 2021 merger, the brands under one joint umbrella are: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, and Maserati—thanks to FCA—as well as Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall—thanks to PSA. This makes the brand the fourth largest automaker in the world by volume, and the third largest automaker in the world by sales revenue trailing just behind Volkswagen and Toyota.
Survival of the fittest
The merger is seen as a survival tactic for both PSA and FCA as revenues had suffered in recent years. One way to move things in a positive direction for both groups is electrification, which they have set out to do. Currently, Stellantis has 29 electrified vehicles on the market—including both fully electric and hybrid vehicles—and will offer 39 by the end of 2021. 2025 will see Stellantis produce "one electrified model for every newly launched global model," the company said at a press conference earlier this month.
Not only that, but Stellantis has a lot of ground to cover in making sure it is fulfilling its enormous capacity. Both PSA and FCA operate at just 8 percent of their capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, according to consultancy LMC. Most of that capacity is in China, a market of 21 million cars a year, and analysts said the merger is the best chance for a turnaround in China.
The problem of Overcapacity
It's not just China where the two companies have a capacity problem. Stellantis could shut down factories around the world, with a combined capacity sufficient to build Ford's entire annual output—and still boost production with its remaining plants, according to the consultancy’s estimates. While the new company has said it will not be looking to close any factories, its network could build as many as 7 million more vehicles than it currently sells, according to LMC (Automotive data provider). Both companies ran at less than half their capacity during 2020, a year in which the pandemic undoubtedly left its mark, but even in a successful year such as 2016, LMC data show the combined group would have had overcapacity of nearly 4 million vehicles. Neither automaker would comment on LMC's figures. PSA and FCA have said Stellantis can cut its combined annual costs by 5 billion euros without any plant closures. Nevertheless, analysts say overcapacity could force some to shut, with factories outside the company's home countries—such as Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in England or Fiat's Kragujevac plant in Serbia—at a higher risk.
Auto Trendy’s take:
Stellantis C.E.O. Carlos Tavares takes charge of the new Stellantis: he will quickly need to implement strategies to revive the automakers' fortunes in China, rationalize a sprawling global empire, and address massive overcapacity. The problems of both PSA and FCA will not simply dissolve now that the pair exists as one entity. PSA and FCA are having a rough time in China against both international and local rivals, and Tavares himself has acknowledged that is not a good position for the company to be in. The Chinese market is a critical one and addressing these issues in production ought to take the forefront of the corporate strategy if Stellantis is to remain viable. We at Automotive Trendy will be watching this new venture to bring you further insights.


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Bitmain has confirmed that its chip supplier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), is increasing the wafer prices amid a global chip shortage.
The firm said in a blog post on Thursday that preorders for its newest generation of bitcoin mining equipment the AntMiner S19j Pro sold out for the first half of 2022 shortly after the sales started in mid-August.
Bitmain said that it is preparing to sell its Q3 2022 batch starting in September. But the company added that according to a TSMC notification, quotes for all semiconductor wafers will increase by 20%, effective immediately.
Wafers are discs made of silicon used to build integrated circuits, which are key components of various electronic devices like bitcoin mining machines.
Taiwanese media reported on Wednesday that TSMC held an internal meeting last week regarding increasing the wafer prices for the first time in a decade as the global chip shortage has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report said that the price increase initially will take effect in Q1 2022 but it appears that it will take sooner than expected.
Bitmain didn't specify how this will affect the prices for its AntMiners customers moving forward but only said its supply chain team is committed to "continuing improving the AntMiner's efficiency."


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The Sky’s the Limit
What does a business that consistently raises the bar for aluminium systems look like? Our editor visited the multiple Installer Award-winning innovator Sheerline – and spoke to leaders including its CEO, Roger Hartshorn – to find out.
“Our product is thermally better; and it’s much warmer and stronger”
Despite the industry’s well-reported trading challenges, Sheerline has been riding high after having launched its Classic system in August 2020. Topping the business’ success, the company’s Sheerline aluminium systems have won our Best Technical Innovation trophy as part of the GGP Installer Awards for two years running.
Garnalex has not only survived but thrived since 2020, as its CEO, Roger Hartshorn, explained. He expressed confidence in a bright future for the business, explaining that sales are going well and that customers are excited about the future.
“Ultimately, a business is only as good as its customers,” he said. “If customers like its products, then it’s a case of doing more of the same. It’s exciting.”
The latest GGP award, presented in March, was for the Sheerline S1 roof lantern, a sleek-looking, thermally efficient, versatile product with anti-tamper screws, and an innovative design for added security. But the business is not content to rest on its laurels. Instead, it has big ambitions to match its launch success.
On site, its enormous, energy efficient aluminium extrusion press is capable of making around four tonnes of aluminium per hour, with a capacity for around 30,000 tonnes annually. To put those big figures into context, £1m worth of window sales is equal to 25 hours of production – and there are plans afoot for an additional press.
Roger described the potential of the press as incredible. He said: “If you look at the capacity, and where we could go, the sky’s the limit.”
In addition, the company is commissioning its own new paint line which was in the process of being constructed at the time of my visit. “The original plan was to use external painting companies,” Roger explained, “but the problem with that, is all the additional time it requires for logistics, taking it to be painted and fetching it back…Being able to paint profiles in-house will be streamlined and more efficient,” he added.
Putting the company’s success into context, Roger said: “At previous companies, when we bought aluminium profiles, we always struggled to source a good local supplier. Currently, there’s something like 96 aluminium systems companies in the UK, and there are only three or four UK-based aluminium extruders, so, the industry is buying from a very limited market. They tend to work on very long lead times, and the technology for aluminium windows is all based around standard thermal breaks. My idea was to invest in a world class press, make and design our own system but, unlike the rest of the market, make the thermal breaks as well.”
Roger was quick to highlight the quality of the bespoke Thermlock® thermal breaks in Sheerline’s windows: “Rather than just being two separate little pieces of polyamide, ours is part of the actual structure, part of the design. It’s thermally much better; it’s much warmer and stronger.”
As well as improved performance, Roger also emphasised other improvements. For example, the company is making a real and sustainable difference in scrap reduction, offering faster product delivery through more precise manufacturing techniques. The way that the company connects corners reduces scrap and makes the range quicker and more efficient to fabricate.
Dave Watts, Technical Product Director, also explained more about the technology behind its drainage innovation for the company’s aluminium windows, which they said give its products an edge over competitors: “Many aluminium products have ugly face drainage. We’ve designed ours with concealed drainage,” explaining. “It’s not rocket science but it’s a big step forward, and makes for better looking windows that are easier to clean.”
Having emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever, Garnalex, who manufacture the Sheerline range is looking to the future and planning to expand its manufacturing facilities. While the current 350,000ft2 building is to be used for assembling profiles, another facility is scheduled to be built four miles away.
And the big numbers keep on coming as Roger reflects on the past three years’ sales figures. “In year one , we did £3.5m. In year two , we did £13m. This year, we should do £35m.” For Garnalex, Sheerline’s parent company, it seems the only way is up.


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This time last year James and I visited Random House publishing to discuss launching a 2013 baby names book. The deal went ahead and the book is now the number 1 baby names book in the UK.
Following the launch, Siobhan (my big sister and James’ senior editor) appeared on the BBC at Christmas to discuss the royal baby, and today it was Wayne Rooney’s latest offspring, Klay, that sparked a follow up appearance. You can see the clip here.
I know it’s not a typical news update but this is just about the perfect example of turning a non-entity of a brand into the market leader, and all the opportunities that can bring both online and off. James has done an amazing job with the baby names site and by seizing every PR opportunity that’s come their way they’ve ensured Google now gives the site the respect (and rankings!) it deserves.
And great work Siobhan. Despite a small amount of “Holt nervous nostril flaring” (her words, not mine) early on, she spoke brilliantly. And there was some definite chemistry there with Bill!


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Christian Dior fashion designer John Galliano will meet the woman accusing him of anti-Semitism today in a confrontation called by Paris prosecutors to settle the matter four days after he was arrested, his lawyer said yesterday.
The woman claimed a drunken Galliano verbally attacked her and her companion at a Paris cafe, using anti-Semitic and racist phrases. Dior, where Galliano is head designer, suspended him.
Galliano filed counterclaims against the woman, accusing her of defamation, Stephane Zerbib, his lawyer, said. “It was he who was assaulted first. He responded, but . . . never uttered anti-Semitic statements.”


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There has been speculation since November about the potential departure of designer Raf Simons after an official from PVH apportioned to him some of the blame for declining sales
PARIS - 22 December 2018: Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons, considered one of the most talented of his generation, will leave Calvin Klein less than three years after joining it, parent company PVH said Friday.
"Both parties have amicably decided to part ways after Calvin Klein, Inc. decided on a new brand direction which differs from Simons' creative vision," the company said in a statement.
The arrival of Simons in New York in August 2016 after four years at Dior caused a sensation: he had the title of chief creative officer, with vast powers to revitalize the American brand, which relied on him to boost the profits of its high-end collection.
But there has been speculation since November about his potential departure, after an official from PVH apportioned him some of the blame for declining sales.
PVH did not specify when Simons would leave, but according to The New York Times, his departure is immediate even though his contract expires in less than six months.
No details have been given as to who will replace him or what he will do after his departure.
During his short stint at Calvin Klein, Simons garnered praise from the fashion world for his innovative collections, and he has received three awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
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Here we are almost one year since our very first ID@Xbox and /twitchgaming showcase! We’ve had the pleasure of working with /twitchgaming and putting together some incredible showcases since then, and guess what? We’re nowhere near done!
ID@Xbox and /twitchgaming will be coming together once again to showcase updates and new announcements of amazing games coming to Xbox from independent developers. Catch the show on Wednesday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.
We’ll be featuring updates, new trailers, and gameplay from Finji and Whitethorn, as well as the first game from iam8bit’s brand new publishing label. In addition to all this, fans will also get a chance to see the latest and hear from teams working on Shredders, Roblox, and some new games that you need to tune in for to see!
For all you Twitch streamers, this event is open to co-streaming. Here are directions on how to do just that!
We hope you can join us for all the news and debuts on Wednesday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m. PDT at the /ID@Xbox Showcase! For all the latest ID@Xbox news, be sure to stay tuned to Xbox Wire and @ID_Xbox on Twitter.


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Ratan Tata Bets Big On Electric Mobility By Investing In Ola Electric; 10 Lakh E-Cabs Will Be Launched
Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons have invested an undisclosed amount in Ola Electric Mobility, with an aim to disrupt the electric mobility niche in India.
As per reports coming in, Ola Electric is all set to unleash 10 lakh electric vehicles on Indian roads, by 2021.
Why this is exciting news for India? Keep reading to find out more!
Rata Tata Invests In Ola Electric
Ola Electric is a separate arm under ANI Technologies, which owns Ola Cabs.
As part of Series A funding of Ola Electric, Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount into the company. In their previous round of funding, Tiger Global and Matrix India had invested Rs 400 crore into Ola Electric.
In a statement, Rata Tata said, “The electric vehicle ecosystem is evolving dramatically every day, and I believe Ola Electric will play a key role in its growth and development.”
He admired and appreciated Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal’s vision for electric mobility in India, and said that his latest investment can unleash a new era in this direction.
Where Will This Investment Lead Ola Electric?
Ola Electric hasd launched “Mission Electric” last year, which aims to bring in 10 lakh electric vehicles on Indian roads by 2021.
This latest investment by Ratan Tata as part of Series A funding into Ola Electric is seen as a major push in this direction.
The biggest problem for propagating and expanding electric mobility is the support infrastructure, and Ola Electric is aiming for that.
As part of the expansion plan, Ola Electric will set up an entire electric mobility eco-system, which includes:
- Charging stations
- Battery Swapping stations
- Deploying vehicles across 2-wheeler, 3-wheeler, 4-wheeler segments and more
Ola Electric has confirmed that they have inked partnerships with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) of batteries, and related products so that the ecosystem can be established and scaled.
Ratan Tata & Ola: Old Friendship
This is not the first time that Ratan Tata has invested in Ola.
In 2017, Ratan Tata invested an undisclosed amount into Ola, which was part of the $2 billion VC infusion to battle Uber in India.
Before that, Ratan Tata had invested into Ola in his personal capacity.
Bhavish Aggarwal said,“Mr Tata has been an inspiration and a mentor to me personally in shaping Ola’s journey over the years.”
We will keep you updated, as more details come in.